Albion boss: decision is a good one for us all

ALBION’S executive director has backed a decision which will help pave the way for hundreds of homes, thousands of jobs and an Ikea.

Despite some protests Adur District Council voted through its local plan on Thursday night, a wide ranging policy agreement on how the area can be used to generate more homes and jobs and approach planning applications. And Martin Perry said it will be a positive step for the district combined with the club’s plans to create a new 32,000 square metre IKEA store close to its training complex in Lancing.

Mr Perry is also director of New Monks Farm Development Ltd, the company set up by the club for the project.

He said: “It is a bold plan which will bring huge economic and social benefits, delivering more than 4,000 badly needed homes to the area including affordable homes and create thousands of jobs.

“The combined impacts of the developments at New Monks Farm and Shoreham Airport will deliver 600 of those homes, 180 affordable units, create 1,300 jobs and secure the future of Shoreham Airport.

“Both projects will inject £23 million per annum into the local economy and generate more than £3 million per annum in revenue for Adur District Council at a time when the revenue from central government is being cut.

“This is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by the planning and policy officers at Adur District Council and the councillors that supported the plan have demonstrated progressive, forward thinking and acting in the best interests not only of the Adur area but the whole of the wider region of East Sussex.”

The project is expected to deliver a 28 hectare country park, a traveller park, a site for a single form entry primary school with room to expand and two more grass pitches for the club’s training ground.

To cope with the expected increase in traffic, £40 million of road improvements including the removal of the Sussex Pad lights and a new roundabout are proposed.

It was hoped that Ikea could be opened by summer 2019 with the mix of houses delivered over an eight years. New Monks Farm Development has agreed a deal with CALA Homes (South Home Counties) for the development of 600 new homes on New Monks Farm in Lancing. Adur District Council will benefit from £2.75 million in council tax and business rates from the completed scheme.